2018 Toyota Sienna AWD Review

2018 Toyota Sienna AWD Review The state from the minivan art is advancing faster now than perhaps ever ahead of, with onboard vacuums, connectivity features aimed at gadget-happy families, high-res displays, trick folding seats, as well as the like, all aiming to capture your family-hauling buck. Regretably for Toyota, its Sienna does not offer the vast majority of what some newer vans do.

2018 Toyota Sienna AWD Review

One example is, the aging Sienna has but one particular USB port and a single HDMI input, both situated during the front row. There also is no provision for in-car Wi-Fi. The new-for-2017 Chrysler Pacifica has six USB ports across all 3 rows and two HDMI ports devoted to second-row passengers, along with available Wi-Fi connectivity. The Toyota’s front center console is fixed (probable because of the 120-volt AC outlet positioned on its rear encounter) and isn’t specifically versatile. The Honda Odyssey gives a removable console that features a flip-up trash-bag ring. There is no onboard vacuum cleaner around the Sienna’s alternatives list, even though both the Chrysler plus the Honda could be outfitted with that feature. And you also likely know that the Sienna doesn’t present second-row seats that fold in to the floor; nor does every other competitor except Chrysler, with its Stow ’n Go seats.

This can be not to state that the Sienna is unsatisfactory; it comes conventional or could be outfitted with most every single other minivan characteristic one could want, as well as a Toyota finished initial from 3 in our most current minivan comparison test. Without a doubt, the Sienna has substantially to endorse it, which includes a strong V-6, a smooth transmission, ample hauling space, and Toyota’s track record for reliability. Its split third row folds easily with the pull of a lever on every side (though the larger side will take somewhat of muscle to move). The Entune infotainment touchscreen found in our top-spec Constrained test model is quick and responsive to inputs, along with the system’s few quirks-such as needing to touch the capacitive button marked “Apps” to seek out the navigation perform if you are not within the residence screen-are quickly discovered. There also are knobs for volume and tuning, a blessing these days; we did want they stood out a little increased through the face and had knurled edges to create spinning them a lot easier, though. And also the Sienna earns major Good marks in all but 1 Insurance coverage Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash check, scoring 1 Acceptable in frontal-offset overall performance, while NHTSA has bestowed its top rated five-star general crash rating. (It’s worth pointing out that some rivals had been far better from the IIHS offset test, notably the Odyssey as well as the Kia Sedona, and most minivans match the Sienna’s NHTSA rating.

Individuals worried about safety need to note, also, that this Sienna Constrained required a worst-in-class 191 feet to end from 70 mph in our test. We haven’t measured a minivan with braking final results this bad given that our long-term test of the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan.

The Toyota’s third row is relatively roomy, too, and easy to obtain to whether or not you choose to slide the second row forward or slip in between the captain’s chairs fitted to our Limited test vehicle. (A second-row bench is available in decide on Siennas.) Even grownups can sit from the back row for at the very least just a little although, although the bottom cushion lacks sufficient thigh assistance for longer journeys. Each side of your third row features a headphone jack and a person volume knob for that rear-seat infotainment method. As outlined, however, there is no USB port for device charging, so woe to these whose tablet runs out of juice with no charging cable extended sufficient to achieve one of the two home retailers inside the Sienna. You can find three 12-volt DC sockets, but you’d will need that selection of charger or possibly a plug-in USB adapter to implement them.

We like the B-pillar buttons for that power-close doors, and we like that 14 cupholders are available for beverage cradling. While the interior resources will win no plaudits from aesthetes-the fake wood is egregiously fake, for instance-the rough-and-tumble plastics and vinylish leather upholstery are acceptable and are very likely to stand as much as tons of abuse. We discovered the driver’s seat much more at ease than the broad, flat cushion could possibly suggest and emerged ache-free after driving a number of hundred miles inside a day. A single minor annoyance: Together with the third-row seats folded, the floor is peppered with handles, rough Velcro, and bag hangers that may be difficult on knees any time you scramble in to the back to load or unload cargo.

The Sienna drives just since it ought to, which is to say, without the need of any bothersome drama. It’s a pod intended to convey you and yours all over town in serenity, a career at which it excels. The steering is light and accurate, making parking a snap, and it doesn’t let the van wander at increased velocities, tracking true. The trip is smooth and quiet-perfect for obtaining the little ones nap during a street trip-although the stiffer sidewalls of the run-flat tires fitted to all-wheel-drive models like ours introduce some harshness to impacts that is not there with conventional rubber.

As pointed out, the three.5-liter V-6 gives loads of energy, but it does obtain a bit coarse and winded at larger rpm. The six-speed automatic transmission operates virtually undetectably. For 2017, the Sienna will get far more power and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It does not truly require further horsepower, but the new transmission ought to assistance improve fuel economy-which is good, since the Sienna’s mileage is not wonderful.

An essential aspect will be the Sienna’s one unique function during the segment: optional all-wheel drive, which suggests far more perform to the engine and, in accordance to Toyota, adds 145 pounds to the curb excess weight. All-wheel-drive versions like our test van are rated at just sixteen mpg city and 23 mpg highway; we achieved twenty mpg in more than 800 miles, and our 200-mile test at a steady 75 mph matched the EPA’s highway-mileage estimate. It can not assistance matters that the AWD system-if the gauge cluster’s AWD Check feature would be to be believed-sends torque towards the rear wheels under even the lightest throttle application, even even though cruising at 70 mph. The Sienna’s numbers boost to 18/25 mpg with front-wheel drive, even though that city figure matches the Honda and Chrysler rivals, these vans are each rated at 28 mpg within the highway. The all-wheel-drive program does not seem to deliver a great deal on the dynamic equation, either-its most tangible benefit was in off-the-line acceleration-more of the protection blanket for those concerned with receiving caught in nasty weather. We’d save the premium and apply it as well as fuel financial savings to a set of winter tires for foul-weather months.

But picking out to forgo the Sienna’s sole distinctive selling point puts the Toyota at an even clearer disadvantage against newer, additional feature-rich competitors, particularly in pricier trim levels. Consumers who think that the latest in engineering and connectivity are decrease priorities, nevertheless, are going to be satisfied, because the Sienna continues to excel with the core minivan mission: hauling individuals and their stuff in the flexible and comfy package deal.